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I felt a stab of guilt. She was worse off when I left the bar than I thought. “Um, I went home with Cal after that.”
Poppy’s eyes widened. “You left me?”
“With Theo. He promised to make sure you got home ok. And he did. He was taking care of you when I got back this morning.”
Poppy paled and wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“Do you need a bowl?”
She nodded, and I grabbed the largest mixing bowl I could find and put it on the table in front of her. I stayed beside her in case she needed me, and because I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to hide the pain from my face if I sat again.
“Do you think he saw me puke,” she asked quietly.
I didn’t answer and she groaned, the sound echoing in the bowl.
“He’s never going to ask me out now.”
I drummed my fingers on the table, debating if I should share Cal’s interpretation of Theo’s X tattoos. “If he doesn’t ask you,it’s not because of what happened last night or anything you did. He clearly cares about you. A lot.”
Poppy glanced at me over the rim of the bowl. Her hard exterior was gone. She looked so much like the little girl who refused to attend her father’s funeral, my heart lurched. “But not enough,” she whispered.
I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Ok,” she said, pulling her hand away and straightening. “I want details about you and a certain neighbor. You were a terrible sister for abandoning me last night. You owe me.”
“I made you monkey bread.”
Poppy shook her head. “Not good enough. You even forgot the bacon again. And now it’s too late to cook it before the bread’s done.”
I glanced at the timer. “There’s time.”
“Good. Talk while you fry.”
“I mean, how much detail do you want?” I asked, pulling the bacon from the fridge.
“Nothing graphic. My stomach is still queasy. Just, where things stand with y’all.”
“It was just sex.” I turned on the heat under Mom’s favorite cast-iron skillet and laid in the bacon. I could feel Poppy’s eyes boring into me while I washed my hands, but she didn’t say a word.
“You had the biggest crush on him in high school,” she said softly. “I remember how you used to look at him when you brought Chris and me to his football games.”
I shrugged. “Everyone did.”
“Fair,” Poppy said. “But admit it, your inner sixteen-year-old is dying of happiness right now.”
I laughed and flipped the bacon. “Maybe a little.”
Poppy’s chair screeched back from the table. I glanced over my shoulder to see if she was bolting for the bathroom in favor of thebowl. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me from behind, laying her head on my shoulder. “Be careful, Rowan. Brad hurt you, but a guy like Cal can break you into pieces you’ll never be able to put back together.”
I nodded, my eyes burning. Cal had been upfront about what sleeping together would mean, but I’d be lying if I said I had zero feelings for him. On top of his ability to tease every ounce of pleasure from my body, he had a caring side that made my heart ache to know him more. He’d make someone a wonderful partner, someday.
If Poppy hugged me any longer, I was going to break down. “Can you grab the confectioners sugar, butter, and cream cheese,” I said clearing my throat. “I need to make the icing.”
“Oh, we’re going full guns today,” Poppy said with a laugh.
She grabbed the ingredients and took over cooking the bacon while I made the glaze. We chatted while we worked, and again I was struck by how much lighter my sister was in the kitchen. When the monkey bread was ready, we filled our plates. Poppy crumbled bacon on top of hers, and I did the same.
She shot me a worried glance when I groaned into a chair, but was lost to the sugary goodness before I’d settled in my seat.
